There are six difficulty settings in Sunrider, with 'Captain' being the intended default. Some difficulty levels have a different name in Liberation Day.
VN mode / Waifu mode
Intended for people who don't much care for the combat and just want to get on with the story. Most enemies will be destroyed with a single attack and few things could pose a real threat. Because of how much faster each battle is won compared to normal difficulty the player can expect to receive far more Command Points which will further help reduce the challenge in combat.
- Enemies take 400% damage
- Player takes 25% damage
Casual
For those who want to breeze through combat but not have it be a total walkover.
- Enemies take 200% damage
- Player takes 50% damage
Ensign
Intended for people who do enjoy the combat but either don't play many strategy games or prefer not to waste their time with retrying battles.
- Enemies take 133% damage
- Player takes 75% damage
Captain
The recommended way to play the game, offering challenging but fair battles.
- 1 turn added to actual turns taken to win for Command Point rewards.
Hard / Admiral
Intended for hardcore strategy enthusiasts who get a kick out of doing what others may think is impossible. Battles will likely take a good while longer to complete on this setting so the player can expect to be making far less CP, making for a very challenging game.
- Enemies take 75% damage
- Player takes 133% damage
- 2 turns added to actual turns taken to win for Command Point rewards
Space Whale
A special extreme difficulty setting for the very best of the best. Not guaranteed to actually be winnable. Most people should not even attempt this.
- Enemies take 66% damage
- Player takes 145% damage
- Money rewards reduced by 20%
- 4 turns added to actual turns taken to win for Command Point rewards